Justice League Nuptials 14
"As I said, Batman is my guest." Ra's al Ghul informed Lex Luthor via secure video conference.
"You're honestly going to try and convince Batman to become your heir?" Luthor couldn't believe it.
"He has been close to it on more than one occasion." Al Ghul informed him, "My daughter can be very persuasive."
"Ah, yes. The fabled Talia." Luthor smirked, "When do I meet her?"
"Never." Ra's sternly replied, "Gotham City is yours. Batgirl was captured whilst trying to find Batman. That leaves Gotham's defense to Nightwing and Robin. They can be overrun by your ilk."
"Why Ra's you sound as though you disapprove of my Legionnaires." Luthor chuckled.
"They are scum." Al Ghul opined.
"But they are your allies." Luthor reminded him, "You goals are more easily met with them then without them."
"A fact that sustains our alliance." Al Ghul stated.
"And why do you think that attacking Gotham will further your goals?" Luthor inquired.
"There will be no choosing between my path and Gotham City if there is no Gotham City." Ra's answered.
"I see your point." Luthor chuckled, "I'll alert my associates and let them know of the opportunity."
"I thought you might. Goodbye." Al Ghul terminated the transmission and turned to his daughter, "It is done."
"Thank you, Father." She gratefully said, "Now my beloved's secret will remain his."
"I am happy to help. The Detective is too noble a foe to throw his secret identity to the wolves. He is taking a great risk having Batman and Bruce Wayne away at the same time…especially with Barbara Gordon and Batgirl in tow." Al Ghul commented, "But I wonder, why do you care? He has chosen another yet you still yearn for him."
"We were only kept apart by our respective loyalties. I still love him but my allegiance is with you. I wasn't defeated so much as I conceded." Talia explained.
"So you won't be adverse to my actually bringing Batman and his bride here?" Ra's asked.
"Father!" Talia scolded him.
"Do not worry, Daughter Dear." Al Ghul assured her, "I shall not press the matter until they turn back towards their beloved city. Which I fear will be sooner than they'd planned."
Out in the Caribbean, Bruce gazed at Barbara across the deck of his yacht. She wore shorts, a tank top, and an outer shirt to help keep her fair skin from burning in the sun. A floppy hat and sunglasses topped off her ensemble. He found it absolutely adorable.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him and smiled, "What brings you here handsome stranger?"
"I saw an incredibly gorgeous woman and I just couldn't resist the urge to hold her." Bruce gave her a squeeze.
Barbara turned to face him, "And could you be convinced to kiss her?"
Bruce grinned, "Try and stop me."
After an idyllic moment Barbara asked, "So where are we going?"
"I own an island beyond the Keys called Maraca." Bruce explained, "It's where I sent Clark after Lois died. It's going to be our home base. From there we can jaunt out to anywhere else in the Caribbean. If we want to that is."
"How isolated is this island of yours?" Barbara asked.
"There's no phones, the satellite TV's been turned off, and I've ordered the radios to be thrown out to sea." Bruce happily described.
"And how many people are we sharing this heavenly spot with?" Barbara coyly asked.
"Just Hobbie and Gemma. They're the caretakers. They also have their own cabin." Bruce delivered the coups de grace.
Barbara tightened her grip around his neck, "Y'know, husband of mine, I think I could learn to love you." That said, she drew him in for another kiss. Bruce joyfully surrendered.
The following day in Bailya, Luthor held an ad hoc conference with many of the Legionnaires. Noticeably absent were the Gotham Rogues. Batman had done his work well. Only one remained free.
Catwoman sat in attendance. She rarely participated in the Legion of Doom's plans and some had come to question her ultimate allegiance. But they also had reservations about two others in attendance. The Phantasm and Darkwing had made time in their schedules to heed Luthor's summons. The premier assassins were notably absent a large percentage of the time particularly when compared to their rival, Deadshot.
As a former member of the Government's Task Force X and then the Suicide Squad Deadshot had gotten fixated with the high risk missions such groups participated in. The Legion opened up a new arena of high stakes gambling with the opposition of the Justice League. He was addicted to the opportunities to face off with the members of the League and therefore contributed to the Legion's plans whenever he wasn't engaged with a contract killing.
Darkwing was a complete enigma. It was said that he'd been a faceless master of the arts of assassination. It was further said that he'd only adopted a costumes persona at the behest of Ra's al Ghul. Al Ghul in turn had been supplying a favor for Luthor.
Whatever his motives, Darkwing had carried out several shadow missions for Luthor. World leaders and businessmen and women had suddenly expired after refusing the Legion of Doom a cut of their revenues. Darkwing was said to be able to rival Batman in skill but as of yet the assassin had never bested his arch-nemesis.
The Phantasm was an entirely different matter. Andrea Beaumont had been Bruce Wayne's first love. Fleeing from the mob with her father, Andrea had disappeared from Bruce's life for ten years. When she returned, they both had costumed identities.
He was Batman and she was the Phantasm, the lethal avenger. After literally carving her way through the Valescra mob she turned on the Joker. She intended to kill him during their final confrontation but he'd struck a chord within her. She learned that she enjoyed killing and the challenge that it took to assassinate them.
Disgusted with the pair of them, she released the Joker and fled to Europe. There, she established herself as one of the greatest masked killers. She'd been caught and had just served with the Suicide Squad when Deadshot and the Clock King came a-calling. Thinking that she would serve as Batman's mole in the Legion she signed up.
The sad truth of the matter was that the excitement of the Legion's activities and the call of her old life had seduced her and now she was a super villain once again. She'd take Batman's identity to the grave but she might try to honestly kill him if he attempted to stop her. She was too divided to know.
The source of her turmoil stemmed from the fact that she'd originated the role of double agent in order to prove her romantic loyalty to Bruce. Madly, against all expectations, she hoped that he would return her feelings and they could reunite as a couple. Of course, it would take one or both of them retiring from their costumed personas. As that was proving out, neither one of them felt inclined to do so.
Luthor's voice snapped her back to reality. Luthor said, "Here is the situation, our devoted Dark Knight and his Bat Brat are out of town so to speak with no imminent return planned. That leaves the guardianship of the city to the adept but comparatively inexperienced Nightwing. Assisting him is Robin the Boy Wonder. Robin is formidable to an average criminal but easily overwhelmed by one of us. With this dearth of heroic coverage, and Arkham Asylum filled to bursting with Legionnaires dying to escape, now is our moment to strike."
"What's the point?" Dr. Polaris asked.
"Imagine a vast, wealthy urban center completely at our mercy to do with as we see fit." Luthor's eyes and smile were predatory.
"Won't Nightwing and Robin just call in the Justice League?" Polaris continued.
"You underestimate your fellow Legionnaires, Dear Doctor." Luthor chuckled, "Grodd, the Ultra-Humanite, and I came together and achieved the means to block League signal devices, satellite reconnaissance, cell phones, police band radio, microwave transmissions, shortwave and CB radios. Landlines can be cut at the hub and we can isolate Gotham as never before."
"And highways?" Psycho Pirate eagerly asked.
"Will also be cut off." Luther declared, "This will take highly synchronized surgical strikes. Are you up for it?"
"YES!" came the chorus of voices.
"Then let us begin…" Luthor's smile was a victorious one.
It was in the pre-dawn hours in Gotham. Dick Grayson and Tim Drake were enjoying a reheated meal that Alfred had prepared for them hours ago. The butler had become used to the strange hours of the house years ago. He didn't allow him to later his schedule just as he never interfered with the other occupants' nightlife.
"Thanks for the help, Tim." Dick said, "Rounding up that dope ring would have been twice as hard without you."
"Y'know, it's weird to hear a 'thank' you for helping out." Tim grinned.
"Tell me about it." Dick groaned, "Getting a thank you out of Bruce is like pulling Killer Croc's teeth."
"Anyway," Tim redirected the conversation, "It was fun. No costumed psychos, demented madmen, or foreign assassins. Just plain old fashioned crooks. It was great."
"That's why I generally leave the 'super villains' up to Bruce and Barbara." Dick revealed, "Helping out with the Justice League is a kick and all but I prefer to make a difference in everyday lives. Green Arrow's got it right when he says we can't leave the little guy behind."
"But Bruce and Barbara are going to be gone for two weeks." Time reminded him, "What about that?"
"It'll keep them out of my way." Dick grinned.
"But don't you wish something big would happen?" Tim prodded.
"Oh God, no." Dick replied with heartfelt honesty.
But it was too late. Something "big" was already being planned.